The present invention generally relates advanced air vehicles and more particularly to an air vehicle that utilizes an arch wing configuration.
There remains a need in the art for an improved air vehicle that may be readily utilized for applications including unmanned combat air vehicles, reusuable launch vehicles, hypersonic aircraft and rapid response air vehicles. More specifically, there remains a need in the art for an air vehicle that is both highly efficient and maneuverable during its operation at hypersonic speeds.
In one preferred form, the present invention provides an air vehicle having an elongated body structure, which has an aft portion and an arch wing device that is coupled to the aft portion of the body structure. The arch wing device includes a lower wing, which has a swept back leading edge and a swept back trailing edge, an upper wing, which has a swept back leading edge and a swept back trailing edge, and a pair of interconnecting portions that couple each of the opposite outboard lateral edges of the upper wing to an associated outboard lateral edge of the lower wing.
Further areas of applicability of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description provided hereinafter. It should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating the preferred embodiment of the invention, are intended for purposes of illustration only and are not intended to limit the scope of the invention.